Free Web NovelChapter 460: Chapter 343: Purple Crystal Winged Lion King
The vast and boundless night sky hung like a heavy, inky velvet blanket, draping over the earth.
Under the guidance and protection of the Dragon Group, the Molten Iron Legion had already crossed the indistinct boundary line and boldly stepped onto the vast territory belonging to the lion pride.
On the other side.
The lion pride, composed of various fierce and menacing beasts and monsters, did not establish rigorous guard towers like a human army within their vast territory.
However, this land was by no means undefended.
Numerous lion beasts, agile as the wind and swift as lightning, were entrusted with a special mission.
Their task was not to stubbornly defend one spot but to act as mobile sentinels, patrolling the outer edges of the territory.
When the shadow of an invading enemy approached, these sentinels would crane their necks to the sky and let out an ear-piercing roar that penetrated the night, signaling the entire lion pride of the impending danger.
Thus.
Amid the vast wilderness and undulating mountains, considered untouchable by the lion pride,
roars filled with fear or heightened alert echoed one after another, rapidly spreading from near to far, like an endless surge of waves, reverberating under the silent night and breaking the tranquility of the nighttime.
The lion pride members who had been leisurely strolling or arrogantly surveying their territory,
when they caught sight of the mighty Molten Iron Legion advancing like a torrent, their once indomitable fierce demeanor crumbled instantly.
They often only dared to instinctively bare their sharp white fangs at a relatively safe distance, squeezing out threatening yet faintly fearful low growls from deep within their throats.
However, they dared not truly approach the target.
Especially when they noticed the Dragon Shadow circling under the drooping night sky, the fear from deep within their bloodline instantly overwhelmed their territorial instincts and ferocity, making them even more reluctant to face the full might of the Dragon Group.
The lion pride instinctively retreated, their throaty growls now tinged with obvious timidity.
By this time, they had long lost the ferocity and arrogance they once showed when actively attacking the Molten Iron Territory.
With the determined advance of the Molten Iron Legion, the lion pride could only helplessly retreat step by step toward the rear.
The helpless lion pride watched as the Ironhoof of the Molten Iron Tribe trampled their territory, yet they were powerless, able only to let out weak, threatening growls.
For every inch the Molten Iron Legion advanced, the lion pride was forced to retreat an inch.
Eventually.
As time slowly passed, the deep night was gradually replaced by a layer of gray glaze.
However, the sun, which could disperse the gloom, did not appear as expected.
The sky retained an ominous dull gray tone.
Thick clouds gathered from all directions, pressing low over the horizon, and the humidity in the air noticeably increased, carrying the scent of soil and withered grass, with a sticky sense of an impending mountain storm.
A torrential rain was silently brewing between heaven and earth, seeming to be on the verge of pouring down at any moment.
The climate shift and the Border Area that had nearly become a part of the Icefield also affected the Sel Wilderness, making this land once known for its dry heat face a more frequent and prolonged rainy season than before.
At this moment.
Under the dark and oppressive sky, in the distance, a rift that seemed formed by a Divine Spirit’s giant axe slicing through a mountain, began to reveal its outline on the horizon.
Echo Rift, the nesting domain of the Lion King.
The Molten Iron Legion had a clear target, proceeding steadily toward the rift, gradually approaching this natural stronghold.
Soon after, the steep cliffs of the rift became even clearer.
And before the rift, on the relatively open floodplain, the scene was intimidating.
Countless lion beasts of various kinds and formidable appearances formed dense rows, as if under inspection, ready and waiting.
They pawed restlessly at the ground, their low roars merging into an oppressive sea of sound.
Faced with the large-scale enemy army at their doorstep, the previous dispersed harassment tactic lost all meaning.
Therefore, to confront the advancing Molten Iron Legion, the dispersed lion pride across the territory was summoned by the leader to gather before Echo Rift, preparing for the final showdown with the Molten Iron Legion.
At this very moment.
The heavy breathing of the fierce beasts and the sharp cries of the monsters intertwined tightly, like countless muffled thunders rolling, brewing, and spreading deep within the ground, forming a continuous wave of pressure.
Roar—!
Suddenly, a roar far more majestic and powerful than any previous ones exploded thunderously from the highest cliff of Echo Rift, like unexpected thunder from a clear sky.
Within it lay an intangible yet powerful force that swept across the entire lion pride like mercury pouring over the ground.
In an instant, the commotion, restlessness, and anxiety caused by the pressing enemy almost vanished simultaneously, as the lion beasts’ mental states visibly stabilized and turned fierce again, with a savage glow reignited in their eyes.
"Spiritual Energy?"
The pupils of Iron Dragon Solrog constricted slightly.
From that unique roar, he detected a force fluctuation very familiar to him.
Spiritual Energy.
Moreover, its refinement seemed to surpass his own.
The expression of the Red Iron Dragon changed little; he merely lowered his eyes slightly, gazing in the direction of the roar.
Under his stare, an imposing giant lion silhouette slowly appeared on a great eagle-beak rock at the highest point of the rift.
